


Irreplaceable

by milkwithcalsehun



Category: K-pop, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: AU, Amnesia, Angst, Comedy, Drama, M/M, dark comedy sometimes, flower shop au, namjin - Freeform, namjoon works at a flower shop, seokjin is an angst machine, there will be smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-08-24 07:40:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8363566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkwithcalsehun/pseuds/milkwithcalsehun
Summary: Namjoon may have forgotten about Seokjin, but he will never, ever be able to replace him.





	1. Memory

**Author's Note:**

> hello everyone! here's a little namjin based off of a manga called "Kowagaranai de, Soba ni Ite". Please check it out, it's worth the read!
> 
> Cross-posted on aff.
> 
> Anyway, I'll try to update weekly, so please bear with me!
> 
> Enjoy!!!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "In my memory, I can erase your voice. In my memory, at least I have a choice."- Memory, FT Island

 

Flashbacks of the day swarmed Seokjin’s mind as the rain fell around him and the thunder rolled.  He recalled how happy he had been, laughing in the autumn sun.  He reminisced the warmth of Namjoon’s hand curled around his, protective yet gentle, swinging them together as they walked around the city, oblivious to the staring eyes of passersby.  He remembered the warmth of Namjoon’s voice as he confessed words of love in Seokjin’s ear.

 

All that that had happened only hours earlier now seemed like a distant memory as he thudded up the outdoor stairs of his apartment building, trying desperately to escape the voice hollering after him, the voice that once caressed his very soul.  He just wished the rain would drown Namjoon out, wash him away.

 

“Seokjin! Stop, just talk to me!” Namjoon yelled, his footsteps catching up to Seokjin’s own.

 

“No!” Seokjin cried, not even bothering to look back, his tears now falling as fast as the rain. 

 

“Seokjin, please! I can fix this,” Namjoon pleaded as he ran up the stairs, no matter how bad his legs were hurting from lack of exercise.  Seokjin was worth it.

 

“Just leave me alone, Namjoon! You can’t fix me,” Seokjin screamed.  "Let's just pretend that we never happened!"

 

Seokjin gathered his breath as he kept running, cursing himself for choosing to live on the seventh floor of a building with no elevator.  He glanced at the sign at the top of the staircase.  Fifth floor.  Only two more to go and he could lock the door, and shut Namjoon out until he finally just gave up and left.

 

“I don’t want to fix you, I’m not going to leave you, Seokjin," Namjoon screamed, gaining on Seokjin.  "I can't just _pretend we never happened!_ You are all I have! I love you, I want to spend my forever with you!"

 

“No, you don’t!” Seokjin shook his head. Almost there…

 

“Yes, I do.  Dammit, Seokjin, listen to me,” Namjoon demanded, his hand clamping down on Seokjin’s shoulder, finally catching him.

 

“Oh my God, just fuck off!” Seokjin growled, shaking Namjoon off and turning around just in time to see Namjoon lose his balance on the staircase slick with rain and go tumbling backwards down from the top of the sixth-floor staircase to the bottom of it.

 

“Namjoon!” Seokjin screamed, pulling out his cellphone to dial the emergency line as he ran down the staircase.  He reached the bottom, reached his boyfriend, sinking to his knees as he saw the blood from the fall being washed away by the falling rain.  He shakily held his phone up to his lips, sobbing out a report to the emergency line, before he hung up and cradled Namjoon’s unconscious head in his hands, moving it to rest in his lap, holding his hand until the ambulances came.

 

-

 

At 3: 57 in the morning, Seokjin found himself sitting in a hospital room in a chair right next to a sleeping Namjoon, wringing his hands and worrying himself to death.  The hospital was cold and blank white, stark in contrast to the blood that stained Seokjin’s jeans.  All the man could do was alternate his stares from his own jeans, to his own hands, to Namjoon’s pale, pale face, and back to his jeans again.  The tears threatened to fall again, causing Seokjin to wonder how his tears weren’t all dried up at this point. 

 

Seokjin mostly passed the minutes alone, save for the nurses that filed in from time to time, checking on Namjoon’s vitals and offering Seokjin blankets and coffee, which he gladly accepted.

 

It wasn’t until an hour later that loud, familiar footsteps pounded into the room, followed by quieter, much more considerate footsteps.

 

“Hey, Seokjin-,” came a voice, which was promptly cut off by a hand over the mouth of the owner of the voice, causing Seokjin to return to reality from his thoughts, turning around to look at the new visitors.

 

“Taehyung, you idiot, be quieter.  We’re in a hospital,” Hoseok, owner of the flower shop that Namjoon worked at, scolded the younger male before removing his hand from his mouth “Sorry,” Taehyung, Namjoon’s roommate and coworker, shrugged, much quieter this time, while wiping his mouth off.

 

“Hey, guys,” Seokjin tried to offer a small smile to the pair, but he didn’t have it in him.

 

“How is he?  “We came as quickly as we could once we heard about his fall,” Hoseok said, coming to stand next to Seokjin, placing a comforting hand on his shoulders.

 

“He’s been asleep for a while now, about six hours or so.  The doctors say he should wake up anytime now,” Seokjin’s voice shook as he spoke, and Taehyung sat down next to him, holding his hand to offer comfort.

 

“We’ll stay here with you until he wakes up, hyung,” Taehyung offered, smiling reassuringly.

 

“Thanks, guys,” Seokjin nodded before furrowing his brows, turning so that he could look at the both of them at the same time.  “Hey, I need you two to promise me something.”

 

“Sure, hyung, what is it?” Hoseok asked, growing more concerned than he already was.

 

“The doctor, he said that when Joon wakes up, he… he may not remember some things.  If I’m one of those things that he can’t remember, then please, don’t tell him about me.  He needs to forget about me.  He can do so much better than me, he deserves better,” Seokjin said, his voice breaking as the tears spilled over.

 

“Seokjin, that’s crazy.  We can’t agree to that!” Taehyung said as he wrapped his arms around the older male, pulling him into a hug to shield him from his suffering.

 

“Please,” Seokjin begged, not bothering to pull away from Taehyung’s shoulders, his voice muffled.  “Namjoon deserves a normal life, there’s no way he can be happy with me for the rest of his life.  He deserves so much more.  We have to pretend that we never happened.”

 

“Seokjin-,” Hoseok began.

 

“Please,” Seokjin choked out.

 

Hoseok breathed a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose before speaking. “Fine, it’s your life.  I just hope you can find it in you to tell him yourself.  You’re his destiny, whether you believe it or not,” he said, and Seokjin swore he could see disappointment in Hoseok’s eyes for the first time in the many years he had known him.

 

And it shook him to his core.

 

-

 

A little after daybreak, Namjoon’s eyes began to flutter open and his hand began to move.  Seokjin stood immediately, pushing Hoseok to sit in the chair he was sitting in before going to alert the nurses.  He slunk back into the room after the head nurse rushed in with the doctor following her, checking Namjoon’s vitals and helping him sit up and take in his surroundings.

 

“Where am I?” he looked around the room, at the nurse and doctor, at Hoseok and Taehyung, and finally at Seokjin hiding in a corner of the room.  “And why does my head hurt?”

 

“You’re in the hospital.  You had quite the slip and fall, buddy,” the doctor answered his questions.  “Do you know your name?”

 

Namjoon thought about for a moment, popping his knuckles before answering.  “I’m Kim Namjoon.”

 

The doctor nodded and asked another question.  “Do you know how old you are?”

 

“I’m twenty-three,” Namjoon answered quickly, and the doctor nodded again.

 

“Do you know these guys?” he asked, gesturing to Hoseok and Taehyung.

 

“That’s Hoseok, and that’s Taehyung.  We work together,” Namjoon answered, pointing to each man as he said their name.

 

“Very good,” the doctor spoke, pleased with Namjoon’s condition, telling him he would be discharged later in the day before walking out of the room to tend to his other patients. 

 

After the doctor and the nurse were gone, Hoseok and Taehyung gave Namjoon very gentle hugs, staying by his side while Seokjin continued to blend into the corner he was standing in.

 

“How do you feel?” Hoseok asked.

 

“My head hurts.  What happened to me?” Namjoon frowned.

 

“Uhh,” Taehyung began.

 

“You fell.  Slipped in the rain,” Hoseok finished, shooting Taehyung a _look_.

 

“Oh.  That sounds like something I’d do,” Namjoon shrugged and looked around the room again before noticing Seokjin’s figure standing in the background. He lifted his hand and pointed a finger at Seokjin, opening his mouth to let the inevitable words that Seokjin was dreading slip out of his mouth:

 

“Hey, Hoseok, who’s that?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~ I have changed all the chapter titles to song titles, and I highly suggest listening to the songs /bounces eyebrows/


	2. What Hurts the Most

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What hurts the most is being so close and having so much to say while watching you walk away."- What Hurts the Most, Rascal Flatts

“Hey, Hoseok, who’s that?”

 

 Seokjin’s heart sank his stomach as Namjoon asked the dreaded question.  It was a scenario that he had prepared himself for, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.  His thoughts were swimming around and around in vicious circles.  ‘ _Why doesn_ _’_ _t he remember me?_ _’_ _‘_ _Why does he remember Hoseok and Taehyung but not me?_ _’_

 

It hurt, it hurt really bad, but in his heart he knew it was for the best, so he plastered a smile onto his face and stepped forward a bit to answer Namjoon’s question. 

 

“I’m the person who found you when you fell, and called the emergency line,” he spoke softly, almost in a whisper.

 

“Well, thank you so much.  I owe you my life, stranger.  Without you, I could’ve died,” Namjoon spoke, and he was so serious that it almost made Seokjin laugh.

 

“You don’t have to thank me,” Seokjin said with a shake of his head, and his voice sounded sad to Namjoon, too sad.  “Well, I’m going to get going now.  I have work in,” he paused to look at his watch, “yikes, forty minutes.  Bye, Hoseok, bye Taehyung,” he said, bowing before briskly walking the hell out of that room.

 

“Bye, Seokjin hyung,” Taehyung chirped, and Hoseok offered a wave of his own.

 

After he was gone, Namjoon looked at his two remaining friends suspiciously, narrowing his eyes.  “How are you two so familiar with that guy?”

 

Hoseok stiffened and Taehyung started whistling, which was something he often did when he was uncomfortable.

 

“Guys?” Namjoon asked, his concern replacing his suspicions.

 

“He works in the bookstore across the street,” Hoseok offered.  “We see him sometimes,” he shrugged.

 

“Oh,” Namjoon accepted his answer and didn’t question any further, mainly because his head was killing him way too much to even attempt to think.  He laid back down and got comfortable, just staring at the ceiling and being quiet for a while.  Taehyung and Hoseok exchanged glances of immense relief, and Hoseok prayed silently to whoever was listening that Seokjin would be able to figure this out for himself, and finally stand up for the thing he wanted most.

 

-

 

Two days later, after taking some time off for his health, Namjoon was back at work at the flower shop, named _Hoseok_ _’_ _s Hydrangeas._ It was early, well before time to open the doors, and he was sweeping the shop while Hoseok was in the back, working on pre-ordered arrangements that were to be picked up later in the morning.

 

Taehyung whisked in about twenty minutes late, still before the store opened, though.  He had breakfast for everyone, so Hoseok let his tardiness slide.  He always did, he was weak to food.

 

As Hoseok was getting his breakfast, he noticed that there was enough for four people.  He side-eyed his youngest employee, gesturing for him to come over out of Namjoon’s ear-shot with an angry looking index finger, curling menacingly in a beckoning motion.  “Why did you buy enough food for four people?”

 

“Force of habit,” Taehyung said sheepishly.  “He should be here later anyway.  A new book came in for you.”

 

“It did? Oh my gosh, I hope it’s that holiday themed gardening book I ordered-,” Hoseok buzzed with excitement before remembering himself, taking a deep breath and unruffling his own feathers to give Taehyung a _look._ “Just, remember not to play matchmaker, okay? I know you and Namjoon are roommates and friends, but Seokjin has got to figure this out for himself, okay?  No matchmaker,” he warned, wagging his finger and giving a stern look.

 

“Geez, okay, okay.  I won’t~,” Taehyung said mischievously before bouncing away to the outside of the store to water the flowers while Hoseok slipped back to his arrangements, still wary of the youngest.

 

-

 

Seokjin stood outside of the flower shop doors for exactly four minutes and thirty-eight seconds, fighting himself on whether he should go in or not.  He had Hoseok’s book he ordered in his hand, so it was important that go in, but on the other hand, he absolutely did not want to see Namjoon.  He balanced his options before turning on his heel to walk back across the street to the bookstore where he could hide in peace.  He had almost made it back when he felt the heavy weight of the book in his hands, symbolizing his guilt, and he turned back around, ready to bite the bullet and just do it.

 

He stood in front of the flower shop, again, his hand shakily clutching onto the door handle before pulling it open and stepping inside.

 

“Hey, Hoseok.  I’ve got your book,” he called out looking around for Hoseok before locking eyes with Namjoon, who was sitting behind the counter with a biscuit in his mouth, his eyes widening when he saw Seokjin.

 

“Hey, you’re the guy from yesterday! Seokjin? Right?” Namjoon asked, scratching his head while eating his biscuit.  He had crumbs on the corner of his mouth, and Seokjin almost chuckled, almost.

 

“I’m Seokjin, you got it,” he smiled a miniscule smile.  “Do you know where Hoseok is? I have the book he ordered.”

 

“He’s in the back working on arrangements.  Want me to get him?” Namjoon asked, finally done with his biscuit.

 

“Yes, please.  If you don’t mind.” Seokjin’s polite smile was growing thin.

 

“No problem,” Namjoon cleared his throat.  “HEY HOSEOK! GET IN HERE!”

 

Seokjin winced a bit, Namjoon’s loud voice feeling so familiar and warm, but in the slightest bit pleasant to his ringing ears.

 

Hoseok came storming in a few seconds later, a daisy in one hand and a pair of clippers in the other.  “What, Namjoon? Can’t you see I’m busy-,” he stopped his rant when he caught sight of Seokjin with his book, and he squealed with excitement.

 

“There you are,” Seokjin grinned, holding out the book.

 

“Is that my _101 Festive Flower Ideas_ copy I ordered forever ago?” Hoseok charged towards the Seokjin, barely containing his excitement as he gently maneuvered the contents of his hands around to properly hold the book, squeezing it tight in his arms.  “I’ve been waiting for this book.  Halloween is coming up, and I want my flowers to be spooky.”

 

“Speaking of spooky flowers, Yoongi wanted to know if you would mind making a flower arrangement for the store for Halloween.  Within the next two days?” Seokjin asked, apologetically.

 

“He never gives me any time to do these arrangements.  Doesn’t he know I’m a busy man?” Hoseok sighed dramatically, pressing his head against the book as Seokjin patted his shoulder for support.

 

Namjoon watched this interaction carefully.  They seemed close for Seokjin just to be someone that Hoseok “saw sometimes”.  Something fishy was going on for sure. 

 

Taehyung wiped his brow as he came back into the store, coming to stand behind Namjoon.  He reached for a coffee and took a sip, looking at Namjoon.  Namjoon’s eyes were staring intently at something, so the youngest followed his gaze until he saw that he was looking at Seokjin and Hoseok.  Hoseok was holding his book between his legs while clipping a daisy before sliding the flower behind Seokjin’s ear.  Namjoon’s gaze was smoldering, but the two of them were in their own world.  Taehyung decided it was the perfect moment for him to intervene.

 

“Seokjin hyung! I bought your breakfast! Come eat it!” Taehyung called out, forcing Seokjin’s attention towards him. 

 

“Alright, thanks, Tae,” Seokjin grinned before walking over to the counter where the breakfast was, taking a biscuit out of the bag.

 

Namjoon just kept watching, shaking his head as he was completely dumbfounded.  Hoseok put a daisy behind Seokjin’s ear like it was normal.  Taehyung bought Seokjin breakfast and knew exactly what he liked.  Seokjin called Taehyung _Tae._ Namjoon doesn’t even call him Tae.  Something fishy was going on for sure.

 

And Namjoon was determined to get to the bottom of it.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo yo yo  
> so weekly updates are a thing  
> enter mean Yoongi  
> next chapter: detective joon on the case??
> 
> anyway, hey guys! thank you for reading and if you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to comment below! stay lovely~


	3. I Ran

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The kind of eyes that hypnotize me through, you hypnotize me through" - I Ran, a Flock of Seagulls

_The rain fell heavy around him as he ran up flight after flight of concrete stairs.  For the life of him, Namjoon could not figure out why he was running.  He typically only ran if something was chasing him, but this felt important.  He could faintly hear somebody screaming something at him, and he couldn_ _’_ _t make out the words but he knew they were hurtful, because he could feel his heart snap in two.  But he still kept running, and running, and running_ _…_ _Whatever was in front of him, whatever, no, whoever was chasing him was becoming clear.  He reached out his hand, he touched them, they pulled away.  Why didn_ _’_ _t they want him to touch them? Namjoon felt his tears mix with the rain as his feet lost control on the stairs, and he went tumbling backwards.  He knew he was falling but didn_ _’_ _t know how to stop himself.  As his body flew through the air, he swore he could make out words, swore he could hear somebody shouting,_ _“_ _Namjoon!_ _”_

_“_ _Namjoon!_ _”_

_“_ _Namjoon!_ _”_

“Namjoon, wake up!”

 

Namjoon shot straight up in his bed, looking around in the dark and feeling for something familiar, taking a moment to realize he was in his bedroom, and Taehyung was standing over him.  He clutched onto his blanket and pulled it up to his face, wiping the sweat from his brow before pulling the fabric away and looking up at Taehyung.

 

“What are you doing in here?” he asked, and Taehyung scooted him over and sat down on his bed without permission.

 

“You were screaming in your sleep.  Another nightmare?” Taehyung asked, reaching out his hand to smooth the older male’s sweaty hair back away from his face.

 

“Yeah, I guess,” Namjoon shrugged, holding his right hand on the back of his throbbing head.  It had been a week and a half since the accident, and he still woke up with terrible headaches.

 

“What was it about?” the younger man asked, even though he already knew the answer.

 

“Same thing that I’ve dreamed for a week and a half.  I’m running in the rain, chasing someone, and then I fall.  And they call out my name, but I can’t see who it is.  Who the fuck is it?” Namjoon falls back on the bad dramatically, wincing when his head hit the pillow.

 

Taehyung sighed as he looked over at his best friend.  He had all the answers, he could stop these nightmares, but he also had to respect Seokjin’s wishes, but that didn’t mean it didn’t piss him off.  It made him feel powerless to watch Namjoon like this, and hear him screaming in his sleep. In all the years that he’d known Namjoon, since high school, he had never seen him cry, until now.  He wished he could do something, confess everything, but for now, he would just be their support, both of them, because he vowed to play matchmaker regardless of Hoseok’s stern warning.

 

“Do you want me to stay with you tonight?” Taehyung asked, just like he did every night.

 

Namjoon nodded sheepishly like he did every night, and Taehyung simply scooted underneath the covers and got comfortable, waiting to fall back asleep until Namjoon drifted off to sleep first.

 

-

 

Later that morning, Namjoon woke when his alarm went off, somewhat well rested.  Taehyung was already out of his bed and was _elsewhere_ , wherever that may have been.  Namjoon got out of bed and stretched before scratching his back and yawning like an old man.  He was definitely feeling old these days. 

 

He stumbled around his room until he managed to put on proper pants and his work shirt, and then he stumbled out of his room and into the kitchen to make himself a pot of coffee.

 

He made the pot and filled his jumbo mug with the words “ _Kim Namjoon, God of Destruction_ _”_ hand-painted on to it to the brim.  He wasn’t quite sure where the mug came from or how long he had it, but he knew it was his and he liked it because it was huge.  It took a few sips of coffee for him to realize that Taehyung was also in the tiny kitchen they shared, sitting at the kitchen table taking selfies with his phone.  Namjoon rolled his eyes and walked over to him, standing behind him and ruining his shot.

 

“Hey, rude ass, get out of my picture.  You’re ruining it with your tired, ugly face,” Taehyung scoffed and shooed Namjoon away.

 

“Excuse you, if anything, I would improve your picture by 67%.  I’m hot,” Namjoon smirked and took another sip of his coffee.

 

“Um, no.  I just hit 30k followers on Instagram, I don’t need your face on my feed.  I might lose followers,” Taehyung grinned and put his phone down, standing up and grabbing his work shirt that was on the table already, waiting for him. 

 

“Hurry up, we need to go or we’ll be late,” Namjoon said, gulping down his coffee and setting his mug down on the counter.

 

“Yeah, yeah.  Oh yeah, Hoseok called this morning.  We have two big displays to set up and deliver for store fronts today,” Taehyung said as he slipped on his shoes.

 

Namjoon looked back at the counter and picked up his mug.  With two big displays and a coffee pot at the flower shop, he was going to need his mug today, for sure.

 

-

 

Hoseok was already waiting at the shop for them when they got there.  He was staring hopelessly at a design for a display as the guy that Namjoon had come to know as Yoongi, the owner of the bookstore across the street, was barking orders as if he also owned the flower shop.  Namjoon gripped the handle of his mug tight, his knuckles turning white.  Yoongi made him nervous.

 

Namjoon and Taehyung went to work on their morning duties, sweeping and watering flowers, abandoning poor Hoseok.  Yoongi wasn’t a bad guy, he just liked to give Hoseok a hard time.

 

Several minutes later, Namjoon was taking a ‘break’, sipping coffee out of his mug.  Yoongi had calmed down significantly, his arm resting around Hoseok’s shoulders.  Namjoon sighed deeply as the bell above the shop door jingled and Seokjin walked in. 

 

Namjoon’s eyes immediately went to him, but Seokjin didn’t seem to notice him at first.  He was a tad preoccupied with getting Yoongi to go back to the bookstore and leave poor Hoseok alone.  While he was arguing with his boss, who now had Hoseok’s head lodged in his armpit, he locked eyes with Namjoon.  He sheepishly looked away, his eyes falling on the mug in the younger man’s hands, and he stopped cold in his tracks.  It surprised him, for some reason, to see Namjoon use the mug he bought and hand-painted for him.  He kind of wanted to cry.  It felt like maybe there was still some hope that Namjoon would remember him.

 

He tried again to pry Hoseok’s head away from Yoongi, not even realizing that Namjoon had somehow morphed over next to him, helping set his boss free.  It startled him, making him jump a bit when Namjoon’s arm brushed against his.  When had he gotten so jumpy and nervous?

 

Two minutes and one disgruntled book store owner later and Hoseok was free, already clinging to Namjoon for protection.  Namjoon didn’t seem to notice though, because his eyes were locked with Seokjin’s.  Seokjin was a person Namjoon barely knew, but for some reason, he didn’t want to leave him alone, and he for sure didn’t want to stop looking at him. 

 

Yoongi, who was frankly tired of being ignored, looked over at the two who were staring at each other and making googly eyes.  It remined him of the time before they dated, and it brought back memories.  And it was fucking annoying.

 

Yoongi pressed a big, sloppy kiss to Hoseok’s cheek before yanking onto Seokjin’s collar and pulling him out of the door, waving wildly.  Namjoon waved back, eyeing him weirdly while Hoseok was standing awkwardly, looking off into space dumbly.

 

As they were walking out the door, Yoongi leaned over and whispered into Seokjin’s ear, “Come on, he may have forgotten you in that fall, but the universe hasn’t abandoned you two.  The way he looks at you, it’s the same as it was when you two were together.”

 

Seokjin just rolled his eyes and pushed open the bookstore door, but he’d be lying if what Yoongi had just said didn’t shake him to his core.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoops, weekly updates wet out the window, I'll try better guys!!


	4. How's it Going to Be?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How's it going to be when you don't know me?"- How's it Going to Be, Third Eye Blind

It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon. Namjoon hated the rain because it made his headaches worse and it made it so there was nothing to do. The flowers outside were getting watered well by the rain, and their regular customers were mostly older and didn’t want to get out in that kind of weather so the shop was more or less dead. Taehyung had been meticulously putting labels in every single pot of flowers and the like just to make something to do for himself. He looked like a zombie staring off into space while doing a job he didn’t even have to do.

Namjoon sighed and flipped through a home and garden-type magazine from 2007. Hoseok excused himself an hour ago to across the street to the bookstore. Namjoon considered him lucky that he took the chance to escape when he did. He was probably curled up in a bean bag chair reading a book, sitting cozy with a mug of hot chocolate. Lucky bastard. 

Namjoon closed his magazine and moved over behind Taehyung, blowing on his neck to startle him out of his daze. Taehyung whipped around with an effective chop to Namjoon’s neck with his hand, causing the older to duck away, holding his neck.

“What the hell?” Namjoon said, laughing softly as Taehyung still held his defense.

“Don’t do that!” Taehyung growled, bending to pick over the labels he had dropped in the commotion.

“But I’m bored,” the older man shrugged. “And you don’t even have to label all the plants.”

“I know,” Taehyung shrugged. “I was just sooooooo bored.”

“Don’t you have a selca you could be taking for your thirty Instagram followers?” Namjoon bounced his eyebrows up and down, dodging the punch that Taehyung tried to swing at him.

 

“Excuse you?” Taehyung’s voice seemed to curl, raising two full octaves. He smoothed himself out before he continued talking. “I have thirty thousand followers, Fucktard.”

Namjoon just laughed and moved to the corner of the shop to grab the broom and sweep the store for the fourth time that hour. “When do you think Hoseok is coming back?”

“Who knows? He went to the bookstore so he’s probably in Yoongi hyung’s office right now, eating a cookie and getting a pat on the head,” the younger boy sighed and walked over to the counter, opening a drawer and shoving all the labels inside.

“I want a pat on the head,” Namjoon laughed as the bell above the front door jingled, signaling someone was coming inside. 

“Who wants a pat on the head?” came a familiar voice followed by a tinkling laughter, and Namjoon’s ears perked up like a young puppy.

“Namjoon hyung does,” Taehyung grinned, twirling around and exiting the front shop to go to the back, most likely to sit at Hoseok’s desk and eat his “hidden” snacks.

Footsteps neared Namjoon who was busy staring startled at the retreating figure of Taehyung to notice Seokjin standing right behind him. The older of the two smiled before reaching up to pat the younger’s head, causing him to whip around.

“What?” he paused and looked at the older male. “Why?”

“You deserve it, working on a boring day like this,” the older smiled, though it looked a little forced, and he quickly pulled his hand away, moving over to a display of lilies in the corner.

Namjoon just watched him move, taking in the sight of him and the way his hand delicately reached out to caress the flower, smiling softly down at it. Namjoon was confused as to how something he saw customers do every single day could now look so beautiful and full of grace. It made his head hurt. 

He sighed and moved to the counter, resting his head on it. The room was suddenly spinning and felt like a sack of assholes out of nowhere. He continued to cover his head, hiding away from the headache until the “ring for service” bell they kept on the counter dinged next to him and he looked up only to be face to face with Seokjin.

“Can… can I help you?” Namjoon asked though his head was pounding.

“I’d like to buy these lilies. I’m going to paint when I get home later tonight, and right now I’m painting lilies on a set of bowls and these are just beautiful. I want these for a reference,” Seokjin explained, holding the flowers in their container in his hands. 

Namjoon just nodded and checked the price absently. “That’ll be twenty dollars, even,” he nodded, accepting the money from Seokjin when he handed it to him. “So, you paint?”

“Ah, yeah. I do, like pottery and things like that,” Seokjin nodded. “I had a break from work so I decided to come get these really quick. I’ll put them in Yoongi’s office when I get back, if he’ll let me in. He and Hoseok have been holed up in there for an hour.”

Namjoon laughed and nodded, handing Seokjin his changed back. “I’ve been wondering if Hoseok is going to come back or if I’m going have to go rescue him.”

“Oh, trust me, he doesn’t rescuing. He’s having a good time,” Seokjin kept it vague, and Namjoon was kind of glad for that. He wasn’t sure if his tired, aching brain could keep up with much deep thinking.

Seokjin just offered a smile and Namjoon’s breath caught in his throat. “…Hey. When is your break over? Can I get you some coffee?”

Seokjin nodded and Namjoon wordlessly moved to the pot, filling a small blue mug with kittens painted on it with coffee and handed it to the older male before filling his own giant, hand-painted Kim Namjoon, God of Destruction mug. He took a sip out of it as Seokjin smiled at the mug in his own hands.

“I painted this,” he smiled over at Namjoon, looking at the mug in his hands and speaking without thinking. “I also painted-,” he stopped, covering his hand with his mouth to prevent himself from saying anything else.

“You painted what?” Namjoon furrowed his brows, heavily intrigued for some reason. 

Seokjin pointed at a yellow mug with dancing cacti painted on it. “That. I painted that.”

Namjoon looked and nodded. “That’s Taehyung’s favorite mug to drink from. Hoseok likes the kitten one but I won’t tell him you used it.”

Seokjin nodded before he looked at Namjoon’s mug, feeling a surge of bravery. “What about you? Why’ don’t you drink from that pink one over there?” Seokjin gestured to a third mug, a pink one with puppies painted on it.

“Because I have this one here,” Namjoon bobbed his head in the direction of the mug in his hands. “I like it. I don’t know where it came from but it’s big and it has my name on it. It’s probably my favorite thing I own these days.” 

Seokjin felt his heart swell at that, watching as Namjoon’s lips began to spread into a smile. “Namjoon, I-“

Suddenly the front door shot open, revealing Yoongi and a very frazzled looking Hoseok came busting into the store. 

“Guess what, nerds? We’re going drinking tonight, scratch all plans that you probably didn’t have to begin with!” Yoongi announced, and Hoseok looked helpless.

Taehyung peeked out of Hoseok’s office, mouth full of snacks. “?” he asked, because he refused to talk with his mouth full.

“Drinks. Us. Tonight,” Yoongi spoke very slowly, and Hoseok stared in bewilderment at the new location of his snacks, which had moved from his desk to Taehyung’s mouth.

Taehyung just shrugged while Seokjin smiled weakly. “I guess I’m not painting tonight.”

“…Right,” Namjoon nodded, but he had already drowned everyone else out in favor of thinking about Seokjin could have possibly been about to say before he was cut off by Yoongi’s bold announcement.

His head began to throb even harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow shit sorry about the long wait 
> 
> Also what was seokjin going to say???????????? Mystery-


End file.
